Mission-driven early childhood leader bridging program strategy, classroom practice, and adult learning
Quiera Evans, Ed.D., is a mission-driven early childhood leader with 20+ years of experience in program strategy, organizational development, and family engagement. She currently serves as Chief Program Officer at The Leaguers, Inc., providing strategic, administrative, and programmatic leadership for Head Start and Early Head Start — overseeing program compliance with federal and state standards, cross-sector partnerships with local school districts, and staff and parent capacity building.
Previously, Dr. Evans served as Director of Early Head Start, strengthening comprehensive services for expectant families and children from birth to three and elevating parents as primary educators. Earlier in her career, she worked as a Preschool Instructional Coach, guiding continuous quality improvement through reflective practice.
Dr. Evans holds a Doctorate in Educational Leadership, Administration, and Policy from Fordham University, along with two master's degrees from Montclair State University in Educational Leadership and Early Childhood Education. Rooted in improvement science, her doctoral preparation emphasized inquiry cycles, problem-solving design, and rapid tests of change — an approach she applies to program design, coaching, and organizational learning. She has facilitated leadership trainings and institutes across New Jersey, New York, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
What Quiera is teaching
Trauma-informed practice that protects the adult, too
A 90-minute interactive workshop in the Leadership Track on Thursday afternoon.
Sep24Thursday2:30 – 4:00 PM
👥 Leadership Track
Trauma-Informed Without Burnout
Early childhood classrooms carry high emotional demands — big feelings, challenging behaviors, staff fatigue. This 90-minute training equips educators with trauma-informed strategies that de-escalate behavior while protecting adult well-being. Participants leave with calm, predictable co-regulation moves, firm-and-kind boundary language, and 60-second reset tools — so classrooms feel safer and staff feel more supported.
Room Cayuga · 50 cap
Format Interactive Workshop · 90 min
Slot Breakout Session 3
You'll leave able to
Use co-regulation strategies that calm bodies quickly and reduce escalation.
Set warm, firm boundaries (trauma-informed, not permissive) to reduce power struggles.
Protect staff energy with 60-second reset tools and consistent team cues.
See Quiera live
Join us at HSE LIVE Syracuse
Catch Dr. Quiera Evans and a full slate of leaders shaping early childhood at Turning Stone, September 23–25, 2026. Limited seating in Cayuga — register early.
